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Senior Court Reporter
MORE than 20 families from Esigodini face hunger after their blooming maize fields were fenced off by a National University of Science and Technology lecturer in a land wrangle. Dr Themba Dlodlo obtained an interdict order last month barring the 22 farmers who claim that they were allocated Lot 26A Essexvale Estate in 2000 under the land reform programme.
Granting Dr Dlodlo, a war veteran, the interim order Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha said the 22 farmers, their families and livestock were not allowed onto the farm, meaning they cannot have access to their ripening crops or harvest them.
“The respondents and all those acting under, through or with them, be and are hereby interdicted from entering Lot 26A Essexvale Estate, in Mzingwane district. They are also interdicted from allowing their cattle to enter the farm,” said Justice Kamocha.
This was after Dr Dlodlo had said his cattle were a special breed and mixing with the villagers’ livestock would expose them to diseases.
The order also empowers the Sheriff of the High Court to remove anyone who might enter the farm.
Dr Dlodlo had submitted that he was the sole owner of the farm after being given an offer letter in 2003, although farmers and war veterans are disputing this, as ‘no offer letter had been issued in 2003.’
The 22 farmers were early this year fined $100 each at the Esigodini magistrates’ court for malicious damage to property after Dr Dlodlo complained they had strayed onto his farm. The farmers represented by Malaki Mpofu, Jones Nkomo, Fungai Nkomo, Ephraim Gumbo, Sizalendaba Ncube and Melody Ncube have since filed a notice of opposition as they want to have access to their crops and harvest them.
It is their contention that removing them from the farm is unacceptable considering that they have been on the farm since the start of the land reform exercise.
The Zanu-PF deputy secretary for business development in Bulawayo province Cde George Mlala said Dr Dlodlo was being used to reverse the land redistribution. “For Dlodlo to claim that he got an offer letter in 2003 is questionable because no offer letters were issued at that time. In 2011 the district land committee told him he was not the owner of the farm and he is just reappearing in 2014 with an order from court while people have planted. Obviously they are not allowed to harvest their crops.”
“In his founding affidavit, Dr Dlodlo, who also owns Leeside and Ashdown Park in the area, said he was allocated the land by the government and villagers were not happy about it.
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